Mohamed Shehata, an imam at Al-Aqsa Islamic Society, was born and raised in Egypt. An imam at a mosque typically leads prayer and leads the mosque. Shehata came into the Philadelphia community in 2001 after accepting the offer of leading the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society community. Since then, he has worked on building better relationships between Muslims and […]

Gentrification of Northern Liberties and Kensington has shifted these neighborhoods into a new direction. With many diverse people living the area, it has caused a rise in the openings of new cafes. According to a 2015 report on the city’s independent economy published by the Center City District, the number of self-employed people ranges from 30,000 to 35,000. Some come to cafes to […]

Cornhole, like most sports, has the power to bring people together, and sometimes that comradery translates into other areas of life. Andy Banas and Chad Puchalski created the Philadelphia Cornhole League in 2013. They are also business partners at Independence Print Company, which specializes in screen printing, embroidery and promotional products. “We saw the opportunity build at a growing sport […]

After a 20-year-old waitress named Sabina O’Donnell was beaten, raped and strangled in Northern Liberties five years ago, Lawrence Whitaker, chief instructor of at Urban Defense on 6th Street near Fairmount Avenue, knew he needed to do something so the same wouldn’t happen to others. He started a class, Defense for Women, which teaches women the skills […]

The Liberty Lands committee wakes up early many Saturday mornings not to drink coffee and relax but to plant trees, clean up trash and pull out weeds from more than 30 garden plots. Liberty Lands sits along North 3rd Street in Northern Liberties, covering two acres of land. The existence and upkeep of this park is all […]

Terrariums hang from the ceiling and green plants are everywhere inside City Planter. The former warehouse on 4th Street neat Brown is now a gardener’s sanctuary, with shelves of green plants and colorful flowers spilling out to the sidewalk, bringing their store out into the community. The employees take great pride in the work they do for the store, their […]

From small, intimate restaurants with tables under twinkling lights to hardcore boxing and martial arts gyms, Northern Liberties is a place to discover hidden gems. Ritual Ritual is no exception. The 2nd Street store welcomes you into their world of design, creativity and inspiration as soon as you open the door. Owner Angela Monaco, 30, […]

John Edwin, founder of Strength Personal Training and co-owner of Strength Academy in Northern Liberties, works everyday to help people achieve a healthier lifestyle and reach out to the community around him and beyond. How did you get started in the fitness training business? I have a degree is exercise physiology and my initial thought was […]

When Joe Livewell uncovered the “ghost sign” beneath the plaster, a hand-painted advertisement of a boy holding bread, it solidified the fact that Richmond Street was once a place for foot traffic, a place where ads, like the one for Kolb’s Pan-Dandy Bread, were viewed on a street that held and still holds much of Port […]

Living Arts Dance and Fitness Studio was started by Jaquetta Colson. Originally form Washington, D.C., Colson studied dance at the Duke Ellington School for Performing Arts as well as the prestigious Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre School in New York. Colson also studied at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she earned her B.F.A. […]